Tuesday, Aug 20, 2002
Tuesday, Aug 20, 2002 |
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New Delhi
By Our Staff Reporter
Giving this information here on the sidelines of a two-day workshop on "Tackling Urban Transport in Delhi - Choices,'' organised by the State Transport Department, the Delhi Transport Minister, Ajay Maken, said the DMRC had forwarded a proposal to the Delhi Government for the fare structure. The Government, on its part, had finalised a minimum of Rs. 4 and a maximum of Rs. 7 fare for the various sections between the Shahdara-Tis Hazari section. The idea is to lure away those using bicycles, two wheelers and buses to commute on this stretch and encourage them to use the Metro Rail. Mr. Maken said the journey in a bus takes around 30 to 40 minutes for this distance, It will take about 15 minutes by Metro Rail to cover the entire distance. Also, he informed that it had been decided to rename the Seelampur Metro Station as Welcome Metro Station, after the Welcome Colony of the area. Mr. Maken said as per the present estimates and experts' view Metro Rail was expected to break even within five to seven years of beginning operations. The DMRC Managing Director, E. Sreedharan, disclosed, on the other hand, that a massive familiarisation programme would be launched two months before the commencement of commercial operations to educate users of Metro Rail about the various facilities and services. As the entire set-up inside the train and on the Metro stations is state-of-the-art, users would be informed through various programmes on how to use facilities like ticketing, boarding the train and use of smart cards which are proposed to be introduced, feeder buses and about the safety aspects of the whole operations. Referring to the controversy over control of the Metro Rail operations, Mr. Maken said it was unfortunate that the Centre was to be approached on every petty issue and for even small clearances for a project that belongs entirely to the people of Delhi and has only 15 per cent Central funding. Objecting strongly to the move to introduce the Operations and Maintenance Bill on Metro Rail in Parliament, the Minister said the Delhi Assembly alone should have the right to frame laws with regard to Metro Rail, the pride of Delhi. Stating that under no circumstances would day-to-day interference by the Centre in Metro operations would be tolerated, Mr. Maken said attempts are being made to create controversies in the project. He feared that this multiplicity of authorities even in Metro operations would harm the cause of the project. "We have conveyed to the Centre our strong resentment on the issue and would like the Delhi Government to have a major say in the maintenance and operations of the project,'' he added. The Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, is expected to take up the issue at the highest levels and assert that Delhi cannot be divested of the right to have a say in the running of this major project. It is the money realised from the fare of the people of Delhi which would be used to repay the outstanding loan to the Japanese Government so it is all the more important the Delhi Government has a major say in the project, he remarked.
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